Mach 5

Oh. Hey. It's been a while, I know. You've grown out/shaved the beard, I've quit/taken up smoking, and neither of us has found the time/put in an adequate amount of effort to really keep this relationship going. But what say we put all that behind us, eh?

Now I know it's been an exciting week for music, what with The Weeknd finally dropping their long-awaited mixtape Echoes of Silence (review pending), the emergence of a new Skrillex EP (review here), and Nicki Minaj spewing her bubblegum-pink wrath all over some poor, unfortunate soul. But we're gonna ignore all that for now.

Let me introduce y'all to Ryan Chapin Mach. In addition to being both a gentleman and a scholar (as well as a classmate of mine at the nation's 5th-druggiest college), he also manages to hold his own rather well as a producer-songwriter. His Bandcamp is littered with a veritable bevy of tracks from this past year – mostly lo-fi, Casio-driven laptop-pop (fatwa pending for the amount of hyphens I just used) – but lest you lose your way in the waiting labyrinth of strange and exotic photographs, allow me to provide you with a guide of sorts, in the form of a few highlights and favorites.

Now be nice and shake hands.


The Hors D'Oeuvres: hopefully all the proof you'll need to agree that this kid crafts a hook like no other. Stuck in my head by the second listen.

The Main Course: after a seemingly disconnected stream of individual tracks, it seems the man saw fit to put together an EP, and man am I glad he did. A pleasantly diverse release, featuring everything from reverb-drenched surf pop a la Best Coast to more stripped-down, acoustic fare.

The Dessert: .............well, as far as culinary metaphors go, this would be like following steak and potatoes with a chocolate-covered hand grenade. But while this track might match that jarring combination in sheer dissonance and explosivity, I find its distorted, auto-tuned chaos to be quite delectable.

Seconds: turns out he does "dark" quite well, I couldn't help but come back for more. Really dig the beat on this one.

The Midnight Snack: a slower, muddier, more emotional cut for those lonely late-night jaunts to yr common area's fridge. Maybe those lax bros left some pizza in the–dammit, they ate all of it. Selfish bastards. See if I ever come to one of their stupid games again.

Godspeed, and a merry Festivus to you all.

Lobster out.

getting in the christmas spirit

look out: more crustacean cognition goodness coming your way this holiday season. we got all the time in the world for sharin' tunes now... [well, at least i do].


to get you started in the holiday spirit:
Christmass N Titties - DJ Assault X Tchaikovsky [Low Limit Mashup]


Cheers,
///patkins///

THINGS

Just decided to throw together a little post of where I've been at recently, vibe-wise. Gotta maintain some semblance of activity on this blog, right?

Enjoy!

Unison - Bjork

From 2001's Vespertine. Yeah, Bjork's weird as all hell, but she's also proven one of the most creative, imaginative artists of the 21st century and a pioneer of personal and emotional electronic music. Read up on this lady; her influence permeates everything you love, from Baths to Radiohead.

Beck - Get Real Paid

From an underrated 1999 LP called Midnite Vultures. I consistently rank Beck among my absolute favorite musicians of all time. He pretty much just does what he wants (like make an album of soul and R&B experiments right on the heels of a folky one, right on the heels of one produced by the Dust Brothers...), and IT'S ALWAYS GOOD. Like here, he somehow managed to turn Kraftwerk-y techno-pop into some weird funked-out gangsta shit. If that doesn't constitute an astronomical level of swag, I don't know what does.

Seasons (Purpp Cobain Lean House Edit) - Six Foe

Lean House is basically chopped and screwed house music. Real chilled out, slowed-down vibes for those winter nights spent sipping lean and zonin'. Check out a mix of the stuff HERE.

Keeping It Moving - A Tribe Called Quest

A jam from the masters. Tribe can do no wrong, especially when the man behind the decks is none other than the legendary J. Dilla. This beat breaks necks.

No Day Massacare - Mr. Oizo

A cut from Analog Worms Attack, another example of why 1999 was cooler than you. While this track is actually far from monophonic **pushes glasses up nose**, it still packs quite a dark, funky wallop. Patkins will like this. Copped from Apes With Barrels, who love Oizo with all their hearts.

g r n b a n a n a s - Zeroh

Our favorite MC tearing up some FlyamSam shit. Can't wait for this cat to put more shit out, he's got some serious lyrical talent.

Lobster out.

BONUS:
Zeroh - Natalie Portman

...and apparently he does shit like this now. I can dig it.

11/5/11 Wavelength of the Moment: K-swag

So James Brooks, one half of electronic pop outfit Elite Gymnastics, just wrote this awesome piece on "K-Wave," which is the kind of Korean pop music badassery that resulted in the above video. It features playboy bunnies (and playboy headphones!!!), two flamboyantly-clad Korean gentlemen rapping about bling & swag, and a fucking tank. Plus Diplo produced it. You actually have no reason not to hit play on this.

Hell, download that shit. It found its way onto my ipod in a nanosecond.

This is a motherfucking double combo.

Lobster out.

~ B O N U S ~

10/31/11 Wavelength of the Moment: Nu Shlohmo Videoh

Shlohmo - Trapped In A Burning House (Official Video)

We have finally been granted an official video from one of our favorite albums of the year, Bad Vibes: a haunted, hallucinatory, Halloween-ready trip through the woods, directed and edited by the man himself: Henry Laufer, alias Shlohmo.

An unsettling enigma from beginning to end (not unlike its musical source material), this video does an excellent job of showcasing Laufer's tact in visual storytelling: nothing is explicated, no answers await the perplexed viewer when they reach the end of this dark journey – only elusive images of windows and silhouettes, like distant memories briefly flitting in and out of our consciousness as we are dragged through the dim forest...

You gotta check out Bad Vibes if you haven't heard it yet. Shlohmo's making some really beautiful sounds right now, and we can't wait for what comes next (dance music, apparently).

Go iTunes that shit.

Lobster out.


~ ~ ~ BONUS ~ ~ ~


Cook, Clean, Pay the Rent (New House Version) - Teebs

New Teebs track being passed around in honor of his upcoming release on Brainfeeder, Collections 01. On some real ethereal shit, gotta love what this dude does with samples.


And on a less exciting note, it's likely that I'll be reducing my posting to more like once a week from now until the new year...unfortunately (for you dear readers), I've been cast in a production of "Hamlet," and as one can imagine, rehearsing for that is gonna take up a shitton of my (previously free) time. So hopefully patkins will be able to pick up my copious slack. Though it's also possible that I'll still manage to post more than him.

10/25/11 Wavelength of the Moment: DEEZ VIBEZ

GET IT???

I download a lot of music. So not all of it gets the listening attention it deserves, at least not immediately. But a select few of this past week's acquisitions managed to catch my ear, so here they are. Mostly chill/trip/downtempo electronica. Might try to make this "random batch" format a regular (weekly?) thing.


Paradise (3:33 Remix) - G-Side

Let's start with some atmospheric, impressively dark production work from 3:33. Best rap remix I've heard in a while.


An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds (Peaking Lights Vocal Remix) - Gold Panda

Man, do I love Gold Panda. He consistently puts out the most gorgeous, lush, beautiful productions. I've been listening to his album Lucky Shiner a lot lately. Peaking Lights throw in some reverb-washed vocals and dubbed-out experimental vibes on this stellar remix.


Luv Luv - Two Inch Punch

Got this gem from XLR8R, who got it from Two Inch Punch, who made it. #CAUSALITY


Still Sleeping ft. Steffaloo - Chrome Sparks

Chrome Sparks is the drummer for Stepdad, one of the most exciting synthpop acts around nowadays. He's also in the business of producing delicate, intricate electronic pop musics. Go grab his My <3 EP for FREE (though you can pay if you'd like), you won't regret it.


Video Games (Balam Acab Remix) - Lana Del Ray

Gorgeous remix by one of my new favorite producers, the Balam Acab. Ghostly vocals galore.


Waiter/The 5 Senses - Jeremih

D33J posted this to his facebook on a while back. Shameless boner jam, but it's got that tripped-out sex-in-space kind of vibe, which we here at CC are kind of into.


~ DEEZVIBEZ.ZIP ~


~ ~ BONUS ~ ~
nebula - dr.dr.

Unbeknownst to most of y'all, I occasionally try my hand at making music. Mostly psychedelic ambient stuff for the time being, but I'm working on more beat-oriented things nowadays (even the occasional trip-pop track). Give me a Listen / Like / Follow if you dig!


~ ~ ~ ADDENDUM TO THE BONUS ~ ~ ~
One of our favorite producers, Asura, just did an XLR8R podcast. You have no excuses.

The Zeroh/BlqBird Experience.

This man.


Man.


///p///

Salva Remixes

Salva is the man. Runner of cutting edge music label Frite Nite and producer of great music that runs runs the gamut from intense bass-driven dance bombs to chilled, textural arrangements of very original synth sounds. The Complex Housing LP was soundtrack to my summer, and as the seasons turn, I keep finding [read: looking for] Salva all over the place. He's all over XLR8R, which cant be anything but a good thing. Here is a collection of his remixes, plus a ridiculous bonus track that lovers of CC are sure to enjoy.

That Girl (Salva Remix) - Pharrell Ft. Snoop Dogg

Blue Movie (Salva Remix) - Beans

Blind (Salva Remix) - Rainbow Arabia

Part Time (Salva Remix) - Ango

Prawn Cocktail (Salva Remix) - Salva & Om Unit

Zoo Keeper (Salva Remix) - DZA

Keep Yer Chin Up (Salva Remix) - Wheez-ie

Dough Ft. Addiquit (Salva Remix) - Robert Koch

Close Your Eyes (Ft. Meshell Ndegeocello) (Salva Remix) - Michael Migs

BONUS TRACK: RAR ONLY
I Be Everywhere (Mumdance Remix) - Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane gets turned into a sitar-laced wobble whomp. Definitely a complement to the jonwayne joint.


Salva Remixes.rar

///patkins///

Zack Sekoff x Def Sound

Oh man. Some trip-as-fuck swag rap courtesy of Def Sound. Production by LA wunderkind Zack Sekoff.




~ ~ ~



BONUS:

Belly Beat by Zack Sekoff

10/14/11 Wavelength of the Moment: BORN GOLD X BRAIDS

So I really hate to do another one of those manic fanboy posts but one of our favorite bands just remixed one of our other favorite bands and it sounds fucking awesome.

Braids: "Native Speaker" (Born Gold Remix - Prefix Premiere) by prefixmag

The serene, dreamlike wonderland that was the centerpiece of Native Speaker just climbed on board a hyper-glitched noise-techno spaceship, captained by none other than Born Gold (who were no strangers to remixes when they called themselves Gobble Gobble) that takes Braids vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston's ethereal vocals and chops them up with a kaleidoscopic–but no less psychedelic–finesse. The overall style actually reminds me a lot of some of Asura's remixes on Unreleasables.

Go buy Native Speaker. It's an incredibly beautiful album.

Then go get Born Gold's album Bodysongs for FREE. It's some of the most forward-thinking and experimental music I've ever heard, and it's catchy-ass dance-pop to boot.

Lobster out.